Gears of War 4
Gears of War 4 is a 2016 third‑person shooter developed by The Coalition and published by Microsoft Studios for Windows and Xbox One. It’s the fourth main game in the series and the first not made by Epic Games. The story takes place 25 years after Gears of War 3 and follows James Dominic “JD” Fenix, Marcus Fenix’s son, as he and his friends Del and Kait Diaz face a new threat called the Swarm.
The game uses Unreal Engine 4. The campaign can be played solo or with a second player in local or online co-op. New weapons include the Dropshot, which fires explosive drills, and the Buzzkill, which shoots ricocheting sawblades. Players can perform a short shoulder charge, and enemies can pull players out of cover. The weather and windstorms also affect combat.
Gears of War 4 brings back many elements from previous games and introduces a new enemy faction called the Swarm. The story also involves the Outsiders, people living outside the rebuilt COG cities. JD, Kait Diaz, and Del must deal with the Swarm while navigating the politics of the reformed Coalition of Ordered Governments (COG) led by First Minister Jinn.
The plot centers on JD and his allies as they uncover the connection between the Swarm and the Locust. They recruit help from old friends like Baird, Cole, and others to reach a Swarm hive, rescue Reyna, and learn more about Reyna’s ties to the hive. Kait faces a heartbreaking choice as Reyna’s fate reveals a deeper link to the Locust history.
Development began after Microsoft bought the rights from Epic Games in 2014. The Coalition led the project, with Rod Fergusson in a key role. Splash Damage co‑developed the multiplayer, and a beta released before launch. The campaign supports two‑player co-op.
Technical notes include 30 frames per second in single‑player and 60 fps in multiplayer, at 1080p. The game uses dynamic resolution scaling. A later Xbox One X update added native 4K, HDR, higher‑resolution textures, dynamic shadows, improved reflections, and Dolby Atmos audio. Windows 10 players can cross‑play and cross‑buy with Xbox via Xbox Play Anywhere.
The soundtrack was composed by Ramin Djawadi. Gears of War 4 received generally favorable reviews, with praise for combat, visuals, and set pieces, though some criticized the campaign and writing. It was a commercial success in the UK and US.
A sequel, Gears of War 5, released on September 10, 2019.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 07:19 (CET).